Rubbish reducer



Nov. 28, 1961 L. R. SMITH 3,010,565

RUBBISH REDUCER Filed June 29, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Z I ll 2 45 43 ,3322 ,2/ 2940 [I 13 '37 423 2435M A45 .5724 L 3' 1.740

INVENTOR. 4 2 Louis, H.8M/1'H AT TQRNEKS Nov. 28, 1961 1.. R. SMITH ,565

RUBBISH REDUCER' Filed June 29, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNV ENT OR.

Lou/s R-SMITI-I AT ToRNEf's United States atent O 3,010,665 RUBBISHREDUCER Louis R. Smith, 4001 N. 6th St., Minneapolis, Minn. Filed June29, 1960, Ser. No. 39,490 4 Claims. (Cl. 24199) My invention relatesgenerally to crushing devices, and more particularly to such devicesespecially adapted for use in reducing the volume or bulk of bottles,tin cans and other rubbish.

An important object of my invention is the provision of a reducer orcrushing device comprising novel construction which permits easy loadingof material to the crusher and quick and easy unloading of the crushedmaterial therefrom, without the necessity of the users hands contactingthe crushed material. To this end, I provide an open-topped receptaclefor reception of the material to be crushed, a drop hammer mounted formovements into and out of the receptacle, an anvil cooperating with saiddrop hammer and forming the bottom of said receptacle, and meansmounting the anvil for movements between a closed bottom formingposition and an open dumping position, whereby the crushed material maybe discharged into a suitable container therefore for ultimate disposal.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a crushing device asset forth, having novel means for raising the drop hammer thereof andcontrol means for the drop hammer raising means, whereby the material inthe receptacle is subjected to repeated blows by the drop hammer duringa given cycle of operation of the device.

Another object of my invention is the provision of control means for acrushing device of the above type, which will automatically terminate acycle of operation with the drop hammer held in an elevated positionabove the rubbish receptacle, whereby to permit loading of thereceptacle.

Still another object of my invention is the provision of a crushingdevice, the mechanism of which is totally enclosed in a housing having aloading door above the level of the material receiving receptacle; andof a safety control element associated with the loading door andactuated by opening of the door to positively prevent operation of thecrushing mechanism when the loading door is open.

Another object of my invention is the porvision of resilient stop meansfor the drop hammer of my device, operative to prevent said drop hammerfrom striking the anvil, when the device is energized in the absence ofmaterial in the receptacle, whereby to prevent damage to the hammer oranvil, whether said anvil is in its closed operative position or in itsopen dumping position.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a rubbish reducer orcrushing device which is simple and inexpensive to produce, which ishighly eflicient in operation, which is sufiiciently compact to occupy aminimum of floor space, and which is rugged in construction and durablein use. I

The above, and still further highly important objects and advantages ofmy invention will become apparent from the following detailedspecification, appended claims and attached drawings.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate the invention, and in whichlike reference characters indicate like parts throughout the severalviews:

FIG. 1 is a view in front elevation of a rubbish reducer or crushingdevice made in accordance with my invention, some parts being brokenaway and some parts being shown in section;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 22 of FIG.1, some parts being broken away;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary detail and perspective of a portion of the drophammer raising mechanism of my invention; and

FIG. 5 is a wiring diagram.

In the perfer-red embodiment of the invention illustrated, ahorizontally disposed base member 1 is provided with an upstandingperipheral flange 2, the base 1 being supported in upwardly spacedrelation to the fioor by front and rear pairs of legs 3 and 4respectively. At its front end portion, the base member 1 is providedwith a circular opening 5, concentric with a vertically extending openended cylindrical receptacle 6 that is welded or otherwise rigidlysecured to the base member 1. The opening 5 and lower end of thereceptacle 6 are norm-ally closed by a relatively thick heavyclosure-forming anvil member 7 that is hingedly mounted to theundersurface of the base member 1 for swinging movements on a horizontalaxis, by means of a hinge pin or the like 8. Opposite the hinge pin 8,and adjacent the front portion of the base 1, the anvil member 7 isprovided with a pair of upstanding lugs 9, each disposed laterallyoutwardly of a different end of a cooperating transversely extendinglocking lug 10 extending forwardly of the front end of the basemember 1. A releasable locking pin 11 normally extends through suitablealigned apertures in the lugs 9 and 10 to releasably lock the anvilmember 7 in its closure forming operative position shown in FIG. 1 andby full lines in FIG. 2. A rigid shaft 12 extends transversely outwardlyfrom the anvil member 7 and has rigidly secured thereto a normallyupstanding handle lever 13, by means of which the anvil member 7 may beconveniently lowered to its open dumping position shown by dotted linesin FIG. 2, when the locking pin 11 is withdrawn from the lugs 9 and i0,and to easily move the anvil member 7 back to its operativeclosure-forming position of FIG. 1, and as shown by full lines in FIG.2.

A generally rectangular housing 14 is welded or otherwise rigidlysecured -to the base member 1, and extends vertically upwardlytherefrom, the front wall 15 of the housing 14 being formed to providean opening 16 above the level of the open top of the receptacle 6. Aloading door 17 is mounted on the front wall 15 by hinge means 18, andnormally closes the opening 16, the door 17 being provided with apivotally mounted latch bar 19 that cooperates with a latch hook 20 onthe front wall 15 to releasably lock the loading door 17 in a closedposition. The upper end of the housing 14 is reinforced by a crossmember 21, said housing further including atop closure member 22. 1 V

A generally cylindrical drop hammer 23 is mounted within the housing 14in axial alignment with the receptacle 6, for vertical movements intoand out of the receptacle 6. At its upper end, the drop hammer 23 isprovided with a cross head 24 that extends transversely of the housing14, and which, at its opposite ends, is formed to provide a pair ofslide members or shoes 25, each of which are contained in a differentone of a pair of opposed cross-sectionally channel-shaped guide rails26. The guide rails'26 are rigidly secured at their upper ends toopposite ends of the cross member 21, and at their lower ends toopposite side portions of the flange 2 of the base member 1. As shown,the guide rails 26 guide the drop hammer Z3 concentrically into thereceptacle 6, the drop hammer 23 being movable'between an upwardposition near the top of the housing 1 4, and a materialcrushingposition within the receptacle 6. The drop hammer 23 is limitedin its downward movement in the receptacle 6 by material within thereceptacle or, in the absence of material therein, by a pair ofrubber-like resilient bumpers 6 one each rigidly mounted in a differentone of the guide rails 26 for engagement with the bottoms of the shoes25. As shown by dotted lines in FIG. 2, when the shom 25 are inengagement with the bumpers 27, the bottom of the drop hammer 23 isdisposed in closely spaced relation to the anvil member 7. With thisarrangement, should the machine be operated without material in thereceptacle 6, direct impact between the drop hammer 23 and the anvilmember 7 is avoided. Further, should the machine be operated with theanvil member 7 in its open dumping position, the drop hammer 23 isprevented from dropping through the open bottom of the receptacle 6.

For the purpose of alternately raising and releasing the drop hammer 23to permit the drop hammer to drop repeatedly into the receptacle 6 tocrush the material therein, I provide novel raising or elevatingmechanism now to be described. A pair of laterally spaced endless linkchains 28 are entrained over upper and lower pairs of sprocket wheels 29and 30 respectively that are keyed or otherwise rigidly secured tohorizontally disposed parallel upper and lower shafts 31 and 32. Theupper shaft 31 is journalled in suitable bearings one of which is shownby dotted lines in FIG. 2 and indicated at 33, said bearings beingmounted in bearing brackets 34, one of which is shown. The lower shaft32 is journalled in bearings 35 that are bolted or otherwise secured tobearing brackets 36. See FIGS. 2 and 3, the bearing'brackets 34 and 36being welded or otherwise rigidly secured to adjacent ones of the guiderails 26. The endless link chains 28 are guided between their respectivesprocket wheels 29 and 30 by elongated guide members 37 that aresupported from the shafts 31 and 32 by upper and lower bracket members38 and 39 respectively, the bracket members 38 being welded or otherwiserigidly secured to a tubular member 49 encompassing the upper shaft 31,and the bracket members 39 being similarly rigidly secured to a tubularmember 41 rotatively encompassing the lower shaft 32. The guide membersv37 are further reinforced between their ends by brace members 42. Apair of opposed elongated lifting lugs or bars 43 and 44 are supportedfrom the link chains 28 by means of brackets 45, and are adapted toalternately engage an ear 46 that projects rearwardly from the upper endof the drop hammer crosshead 24, upon movement of the chains 28 in aclockwise direction with respect to FIG. 2. As shown, during rotation ofthe sprocket wheels 29 and30, with resultant movement of the chains 28,the'lifting lugs 43 a and 44 move into the path of travel of the car 46to engage the same for lifting movements as the lifting lugs travelaround the sprocket wheels 30, and move out of the path of travel of theear 46 during movement about the upper sprocket wheels 29, whereby torelease the drap hammer 23 for gravity impartment movement downwardlyinto the receptacle 6.

. Means for imparting rotary movement to the'lower shaft 32 comprisesaconventional electric motor'47 that is preferably equipped with speedreduction gearing not shown, but which may assume to be contained withina housing portion 48, the output shaft 49 thereof beingoperativelywupled to the lower sprocket wheel shaft 32.

' The motor is mounted on a bracket 58 that is bolted or otherwiserigidly securedthrough the housing 14 to a 47 is preferably concealedwithin alportion of the housing normally open safety switch-56 alsointerposed .in the lead 52 in series with the motor 47 and steppingswitch 7 55, 2) normally open mechanicallyoperated switch 57,

reinforcing plate 51 that is welded or otherwise rigidly secured to theflange 2 of the base member 1. The motor and a manually operatednormally open push-button switch 53. The stepping switch 55 ispreferably operated by a solenoid 59 and, for the purpose of the presentexample is shown as comprising an annular plate-like contact element 60that is mounted on a toothed ratchet 61, a segmental portion of thecontact element being cut away, as indicated at 62. The lead 52 includesa pair of contact elements 63 and 64 that are spaced apart radially andcircumferentially with respect to the contact element 60, the contactelement 64 being permanently in sliding engagement with the contactelement 60, and said contact element 6%) moving into and out ofengagement with the contact element 63 during rotation of the ratchetmember 61. As shown in FIG. 5, the ratchet member 61 is mounted forrotation on a shaft 65, and step by step rotation is imparted thereto bymeans of apawl 66 pivotally secured to the lower end of an armature 67of the solenoid 59.

The solenoid 59 is interposed in a lead 68 in series with the pushbutton switch 58, one end of the lead 63 being connected to the powerconductor 54, the other end of the lead 68 being connected to the powerlead 52 intermediate the conductor 53 and the stepping switch 55. Themechanically operated switch 57 is interposed in a lead 69 whichprovides a shunt circuit for the solenoid 59, in parallel arrangementwith the push button switch 58, one end of the lead 69 being connectedto the lead 68 intermediate the solenoid 59 and push button switch 58,the other end of the lead 69 being connected to the power lead 52intermediate the conductor 58 and stepping witch 55. The mechanicallyoperated switch 57 is mounted within the housing 14 adjacent the upperlimit of movement of the drop hammer 23, and is provided with anactuator arm 70 that is adapted to be engaged and moved by the crosshead24 to close the switch 57 as the drop hammer 23'approaches its upperlimit of vertical movement. The safety switch 56 is preferably mountedwithin the front wall 15 of the housing 14 adjacent the door opening 16,and is provided with an actuator member 71 that is engaged by the door17 during final closing movements thereof to close the switch 56 whenthe door 17 is closed, the switch 56 automatically opening to break thecircuit to the motor 47 when the door 17 is opened. The stepping switch55 and solenoid 59 may be disposed in any convenient location within thehousing 14.

A cycle of operation of thecrushing device begins with the drop hammer23 in its full line' position of FIGS. 1 and 2. The operator opens theloading door 17 and fills the receptacle 6 with bottles, cans or otherrubbish to be broken or compressed, the switch 56 being automaticallyopened to prevent accidental energization of the motor 47. The door 17is then closed and latched, and the push button switch 58 closed toenergize the solenoid 59. Energization of the solenoid 59 causes thepawl 66 to 'rotate the ratchet 61 we point where both contact elements63 and 64 engage the contactzelement 60 thereby energizing the motor 47to impart rotation to. the shaft 32 and sprockets 30 mounted. thereon,in a clockwise direction with respect to FIG. 2. Resultant movement ofthe chains 28 causes the lug 43 to move circumferentially out ofengagement with the ear'46 of the drop hammer 23, permitting the drophammer 23 to descend under the action of gravity into engagement withthe material in the receptacle 6 to at least partially crush the same.During this time, the opposite lug 44 moves circumferentially about theaxis of the lower shaft 32 and engages the'ear 46 to raise the drophammer 23 from its lowered position to its raised position and trip theswitch 57 to energize the solenoid 59, causing the stepping switch 554:0be

again operated. The drop hammer 23 will be raised and dropped as long as'bothcontact elements63 and .64 are i in engagement with the circularcontact element 60, each raising movement of the: drop hammer 23"causing the steppingswitch 55 to be advanced a predetermined'distance.Although the ratchet member 61 -is shown as having five teeth, the samemay be provided with any given number of teeth, depending upon thenumber of crushing strokes desired to he made by the drop hammer 23during a given cycle of operation. After the drop hammer 23 has beenraised a predetermined number of times, in this case four times, closingof the switch 57 by the crosshead 24 will cause the solenoid 59 to beenergized to rotate the ratchet member 61 to its position of FIG.whereby to deenergize the motor 47 with the drop hammer 23 in its raisedposition. Thereafter, the operator grasps the handle lever 13 to holdthe anvil member 7 in its closed position, and at the same time removethe locking pin 11 from engagement with the lugs 9 and 10. The operatorthen permits the handle lever 13 to swing forwardly and downwardly toswing the closure forming anvil member 7 downwardly to its open dumpingposition shown by dotted lines in FIG. 2, whereby the crushed contentsof the receptacle 6 are dumped into a suitable open topped container 72.The anvil member 7 is then returned to its closure-forming operativeposition and the locking pin 11 re-inserted through the lugs 9 and 16.It will be noted that the locking pin 11 is formed to provide an eye 73whereby the pin 11 may be loosely anchored to the housing 14 by means ofa length of link chain or the like 74.

It will be further noted, that at the end of each operating cycle of themachine, the drop hammer 23 is disposed above the level of the loadingdoor 17, to permit easy loading of the receptacle 6 during idle periodsof the machine. Further, when the loading door 17 is open, the motor 17cannot be energized through accidental closing of the push button switch58.

My novel rubbish reducer 'or crusher is particularly adapted for use inthe home as well as in restaurants and cafes where the accumulation oftin cans, bottles and the like occurs and disposal thereof becomes aproblem. By crushing or otherwise reducing the volume of such rubbish,the problem of storage thereof before transport to a point of disposalis materially lessened.

While I have shown and described a preferred form of my rubbish reducer,it will be understood that the same is capable of modification, and thatmodification may be made without departure from the spirit and scope ofthe invention as defined in the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a crushing device for rubbish and the like, means defining anopen-topped receptacle for material to be crushed, an anvil defining thebottom of said receptacle, means mounting said anvil for movementsbetween a generally horizontal closed bottom forming operative positionand an angularly displaced material dumping open position, a drophammer, means mounting and guiding said drop hammer for verticalmovements toward and away from said anvil, means for raising said drophammer a predetermined distance above said receptacle and including alifting element movable toward operative lifting engagement with saiddrop hammer at the lower end of movement thereof and away fromengagement with the drop hammer at the upper limit of movement thereof,whereby to release said drop hammer for free dropping movement towardsaid anvil, and stop means operatively engaging said drop hammer at thelower end of dropping movement thereof to support said drop hammer inclosely upwardly spaced relation to said anvil.

2. In a crushing device for rubbish and the like, means defining anopen-topped receptacle for material to be crushed, an anvil defining thebottom of said receptacle, means mounting said anvil for movementsbetween a generally horizontal closed bottom forming operative positionand an angularly displaced material dumping open position, a drophammer, means mounting and guiding said drop hammer for verticalmovements toward and away from said anvil, power operated mechanism forraising said drop hammer a predetermined distance above said receptacleand including a lifting element movable toward operative liftingengagement with said drop hammer at the lower end of movement thereofand away from engagement with the drop hammer at the upper limit ofmovement thereof, whereby to release said drop hammer for free droppingmovement toward said anvil, and control means for said power operatedmechanism operative to cause said drop hammer to be lifted and releaseda pre determined number of times during a given cycle of operation ofsaid device.

3. In a crushing device for dry rubbish and the like, means defining anopen-topped receptacle for material to be crushed, an anvil defining thebottom of said receptacle, means mounting said anvil for movementsbetween a generally horizontal closed bottom forming operative positionand an angnlarly displaced material dump ing open position, a drophammer, means mounting and guiding said drop hammer for verticalmovements toward and away from said anvil, upper and lower sprocketwheels journalled on vertically spaced parallel horizontal axes, anendless link chain entrained over said wheels, a. hammer engaginglifting lug on said chain and movable around the lower one of saidsprocket wheels into the path of travel of said drop hammer adjacent thelower limit of travel of said drop hammer, said lifting lug beingmovable around the upper one of said sprocket wheels out of the path oftravel at the upper limit of movement of said drop hammer, motor meansfor imparting rotary movement to one of said sprocket wheels in adirection to raise said lifting lug when in the path of travel of thedrop hammer, and control means for said motor, said control meanscomprising a switch and a. switch operating device responsive to apredetermined number of lifting movements imparted to said drop hammerby said chain to deenergize said motor when the drop hammer approachesthe limit of its upward movement.

4. The structure defined in claim 3 in further combination with ahousing enclosing said drop hammer, guide rails and chain, said housingincluding a loading door above said receptacle, said control meansincluding a normally open cut-off switch operatively engaging saidloading door when said door is closed, whereby to close a circuit tosaid motor, said cut-off switch automatically opening the motor circuitto prevent operation of the motor to release the drop hammer when saidloading door is open.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS780,097 Gernhardt Jan. 17, 1905 935,432 Thomas Sept. 28, 1909 2,234,098Wells Mar. 4, 1941 2,645,428 Kandle July 14, 1953 2,813,569 Nelson Nov.19, 1957

